Thanks for the great feedback. I'm glad to hear there are others in the world who like a bit of Nick angst!!

CHAPTER 4

He felt vague tapping at his face and heard muted words - a male's voice - ordering him to open his eyes again.

It took an enormous amount of effort to drag his eyelids halfway open. He made out the bleery sight of Catherine next to Grissoms face. The gentle, worried smile was back as she asked him 'Are you still with us, Nicky?'

The pressure in his head was killing him and he couldn't remember ever being this tired in his life. And the nausea. It was everpresent.

And that goddamn tapping against his face. He tried to hit out at it to make it stop but felt hands grab hold of his wrists and holding them firm. He tried to pull free but the hands were too strong.

His vision was greying again and he was aware very vaguely of feeling afraid by this, but he didn't have the energy to be able to fight anymore.

Grissom watched as Nicks eyes slipped shut again. He continued to tap and rub his face trying to get him to stay awake - calling his name, ordering him, pleading with him, anything to get him to respond.

But it didn't work.

Catherine moved to pull Nick over - awkward with the use of only one arm - so that his head rested on her knees as she knealt behind him. She was almost sobbing with frustration as she slapped at his face to try and rouse him.

But that failed too.

And then Grissom heard it.

It was faint, but he heard it.

A vehicle.

And it was coming closer.

He jumped to his feet and clutched at his leg as the forgotten pain reignited. But this was more important than pain. They needed help. And they needed it now.

Grissom moved as fast as his body allowed him and headed for the road.

Catherine was still pleading with Nick and physically jumped at Grissoms abrupt movement.

And then she heard it too.

Grissom clambered up the slope to the road as headlights came around the sweeping bend and waved and shouted as he made his way towards the slowing vehicle.

He could have cried with relief when Jim Brass jumped out of the passenger seat and ran to his friend.

Jims questions were overshadowed by Grissoms desperate demands for an ambulance to be called.

They heard Catherine call out with renewed urgency and Grissom touched Brass' arm as he turned back, making brief eyecontact and repeating 'Ambulance. Quickly.' Then he turned on his heels and made his way back to his two team members as fast as he could, sliding back down the slope and ignoring the stabbing pain in his leg to get back to Catherine.

Nicks arms were moving, but not hitting out anymore. Instead they were jerking one way and the other becomming more and more violent as it progressed to the rest of his body. Catherines hand moved to rest against his cheek as his head jerked back into her knees as his whole body started convulsing.

Grissom moved quickly to pull Nick off Catherine's knees and to roll him on his side, holding him there as he heard someone sliding down the embankment and puffing over to them. He turned as Jim bent down to Gils head and said quietly, "Air and road ambulances dispatched."

The thrashing started to abate and Nick's body slowly became still. It was all quiet momentarily with the exception of Nicks breathing which had started coming in short sharp snores.

Grissom tilted his head back and cleared his airway, maintaining his hand on his head to keep his airway open.

He heard Jim exhale and almost whisper "Christ, breathing shouldn't be that hard." Grissom gave a half shrug and cast him a tired glance - "At least he's breathing." he stated simply.

Picking up one of Nicks hands, he asked Jim to shine his much needed torch at his fingernails. Grissom peered at them closely and could just make out a dark tinge at the base of his nails. He could still see pink around the tips though, so that gave him some hope.

Jim moved back to the base of the embankment and called out to the other responding officer to bring down the extra jackets.

Passing them to Catherine and Grissom, Jim looked around the makeshift camp site which was bathed in bright moonlight. He took a first look at the wreckage of the black SUV and shook his head in amazement that the three of them had survived at all. The roof was crushed in and the back end of the vehicle was badly caved in.

He visually followed the other gouged out trail over the other slight embankment and saw where the second car was crumpled into a tree.

He went over and peered through the rear window and made out the still figure sprawled across the front of the car. It was obvious he had no chance of survival.

In the back seat of the car he noticed a couple of garbage bags which were torn and had folage protruding through the tear. Jim peered harder, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. The plants had similar shaped leaves to tomato plants. Marijuana.

He sighed and shook his head, turned and headed back up to the others.

He would deal with that later he thought as he heard Catherine's soothing words again and, looking back at his friends, saw Nick begin to start thrashing a second time.

Then he heard his officer call out that the chopper was only minutes out and he ran back up to his own SUV to help block off the road to any traffic so the helicopter could land safety.

Finally the lights appeared in the sky and he heard the whirring of the rotors increase until it was right upon them.

Grissom and Catherine continued to hold Nick on his side as the second seizure passed. Grissom hung his head in a mixture of exhaustion and relief when he heard Nicks rough breathing even out again over the noise of the helicopter arriving.

And then the cavalry arrived.